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| United States Patent |
5,018,237
|
|
Valley
|
May 28, 1991
|
Dipstick wipe-off tool
Abstract
A dipstick wipe-off tool includes a body composed of a flexible, resilient,
absorbent material, an elongated open hole extending axially through the
center of the body, and a pair of normally closed slits extending through
the body along opposite sides of the hole. The closed slits are aligned
with one another along a common line and extend in opposite directions
from the hole such that when the body is squeezed along the line of the
slits the size of the hole is enlarged as the slits open up.
| Inventors:
|
Valley; Charles R. (1309 Redbud Dr., Fairborn, OH 45324)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
487405 |
| Filed:
|
March 1, 1990 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
15/244.1; 15/250.003 |
| Intern'l Class: |
F01M 011/12 |
| Field of Search: |
15/244.1,210 B
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
| 2191817 | Feb., 1940 | Shelor | 15/210.
|
| 2253269 | Aug., 1941 | Gaddis | 15/210.
|
| 2659922 | Nov., 1953 | Klein | 15/210.
|
| 3205525 | Sep., 1965 | Birtzer | 15/210.
|
| 3686702 | Aug., 1972 | Jordan | 15/210.
|
| 4164054 | Aug., 1979 | Hanson et al. | 15/210.
|
| 4245367 | Jan., 1981 | Stoute | 15/210.
|
| 4380841 | Apr., 1983 | Thomas | 15/210.
|
| 4558520 | Dec., 1985 | Forde, Jr. | 33/126.
|
| 4716615 | Jan., 1988 | Whitehead et al. | 15/210.
|
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 710077 | Jun., 1954 | GB.
| |
| 2094618 | Sep., 1982 | GB | 15/210.
|
Primary Examiner: Moore; Chris K.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Flanagan; John R.
Claims
Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:
1. A dipstick wipe-off tool, comprising:
(a) a body composed of an absorbent material;
(b) said body having an elongated open hole formed by and within said
material of said body providing a starting opening extending axially
through said body; and
(c) said body also having at least one slit formed by and within said
material of said body, said slit having a normally closed orientation and
being narrower than said open hole, said slit extending through said
material of said body along one side of said hole and connected with said
starting opening provided by said hole such that when said body is
squeezed from opposite directions along the line of said slit the starting
opening will accurately guide the application of the squeezing force in a
way that the slot opens up and the size of said starting opening through
said body becomes enlarged as said slit opens up.
2. The tool as recited in claim 1, wherein said body is composed of a
flexible, springy, resilient material which will absorb and hold fluid
being wiped off a dipstick and which will return to its original shape
after release from being squeezed.
3. The tool as recited in claim 1, wherein said body has a generally
rectangular block configuration bounded by a pair of first sides, a pair
of second sides, and an pair of end sides, said first sides being longer
than said second sides in directions within a transverse cross-sectional
plane through said body.
4. The tool as recited in claim 3, wherein said slit terminates at a point
located intermediate between one of said opposite sides of said hole and
one of said second sides of said body.
5. The tool as recited in claim 3, wherein said slit is aligned generally
parallel to said first sides of said body and perpendicular to second
sides of said body so as to provide a visual guide for a user as to how to
grasp and squeeze said body relative to said slit in order to properly use
said tool.
6. The tool as recited in claim 1, wherein said hole is formed and extends
axially through the center of said body.
7. The tool as recited in claim 1, wherein said hole is of cylindrical
shape.
8. The tool as recited in claim 1, wherein said slit is generally planar in
configuration.
9. A dipstick wipe-off tool, comprising:
(a) a body composed of an absorbent material;
(b) said body having an elongated open hole formed by and within said
material of said body providing a starting opening extending axially
through the center of said body; and
(c) said body also having a pair of slits formed by and within said
material of said body, said slits having normally closed orientations and
being narrower than said open hole, said slits being generally planar in
configuration and aligned with one another along a common line, extending
in opposite directions from opposite sides of said hole through said
material of said body along said opposite sides of said hole, and
connected with said starting opening through said body provided by said
hole such that when said body is squeezed from opposite directions along
the common line of said slits the starting opening will accurately guide
the application of the squeezing force in a way that the slits open up and
the size of said starting opening through said body becomes enlarged as
said slits open up
10. The tool as recited in claim 9, wherein said body is composed of a
flexible, springy, resilient material which will absorb and hold fluid
being wiped off a dipstick and which will return to its original shape
after release from being squeezed.
11. The tool as recited in claim 9, wherein said body has a generally
rectangular block configuration bounded by a pair of first sides, a pair
of second sides, and an pair of end sides, said first sides being longer
than said second sides in directions within a transverse cross-sectional
plane through said body.
12. The tool as recited in claim 11, wherein said slits terminate at points
located intermediate between said opposite sides of said hole and said
second sides of said body.
13. The tool as recited in claim 11, wherein said slits are aligned
generally parallel to said first sides of said body and perpendicular to
second sides of said body so as to provide a visual guide for a user as to
how to grasp and squeeze said body relative to said slit in order to
properly use said tool.
14. The tool as recited in claim 9, wherein said hole is of cylindrical
shape.
15. A dipstick wipe-off tool, comprising:
(a) a body composed of an absorbent material;
(b) means defining an elongated open hole in said body extending axially
through said body; and
(c) means defining at least one slit in said body having a normally closed
orientation, said slit extending through said body along one side of said
hole such that when said body is squeezed from opposite directions along
the line of said slit the size of said open hole becomes enlarged as said
slit opens up;
(d) said body having a generally rectangular block configuration bounded by
a pair of first sides, a pair of second sides, and an pair of end sides,
said first sides being longer than said second sides in directions within
a transverse cross-sectional plane through said body;
(e) said slit in said body being aligned generally parallel to said first
sides of said body and perpendicular to second sides of said body so as to
provide a visual guide for a user as to how to grasp and squeeze said body
relative to said slit in order to properly use said tool.
16. The tool as recited in claim 15, wherein said slit terminates at a
point located intermediate between one of said opposite sides of said hole
and one of said second sides of said body.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to fluid gauging dipstick wiping
devices and, more particularly, is concerned with an improved dipstick
wipe-off tool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A common practice for checking the level of fluids, such as engine,
transmission and brake fluids, in vehicles and machinery is to insert a
dipstick into the fluid reservoir. The fluid clings to the length of the
dipstick that extends below the surface of the fluid. A gauge on the
dipstick indicates approximately how much the fluid is below full.
The conventional dipstick is an elongated narrow strip-like rod having a
ring fixed on one end for grasping the dipstick, markings defining the
gauge on the opposite end, and a cylindrical collar attached at an
intermediate location along the rod which limits the extent to which the
dipstick can enter the fluid reservoir. In checking the fluid level in the
reservoir, the dipstick is first withdrawn from the reservoir. As it is
typically covered with fluid, it is not yet possible to take a reading.
Therefore, the dipstick is wiped off, using a cloth rag or paper towel,
and then reinserted back into the reservoir and withdrawn a second time
for taking the reading. The fluid level is then read by noting the extent
to which the dipstick is coated with fluid relative to the gauge markings.
This procedure is relatively simple and easy to perform; however,
oftentimes there is no cloth rag or paper towel available for use in
wiping the fluid from the dipstick. Also, the cloth rag or paper towel may
not be sufficiently absorbent to collect the fluid from the wiped
dipstick, causing some of the fluid to drip onto and soil the hands and
clothes of the user. Various alternative devices specifically designed for
wiping the dipstick have been proposed in the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,525 to Birtzer discloses a wiping device having a
normally closed diametrical slit in a cylindrical plug fitted in a
container which is opened by pinching or squeezing the upper end of the
container to insert the dipstick through the slit in the plug. The plug is
a solid cylinder disc of resilient absorbent material, such as felt of the
like. The slot normally stays closed so that the oil will not escape from
the container. British Pat. No. 710,077 to Witmond discloses a wiping
device similar to that of Birtzer except that metal discs are employed
above and below the wiper plug so that the container and plug cannot be
squeezed to open the slits to insert the dipstick. U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,367
to Stoute discloses a wiping device in the form of an absorbent foam pad
having a number of slits, each capable of passing and wiping the dipstick.
The pad is composed of a cylindrical body of foam rubber, plastic foam,
felt or other suitably soft, deformable, absorptive material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,054 to Hanson et al discloses a wiping device in the
form of a block of absorbent porous foam plastic with an open slot. The
foam plastic is flame retardant flexible polyurethane foam material. U.S.
Pat. No. 2,253,269 to Gaddis discloses a wiping device in the form of a
rectangular block having an open slot extending from an edge of the block
to a cylindrical opening through the block giving the block an open
bifurcated end portion to permit passing the dipstick through the device.
The constructions of the wiping devices of these prior art patents appear
to represent a step in the right direction in providing a viable
alternative wiping device to the cloth rag and paper towel. However none
are seen to offer the optimum construction both for making it easy to
insert the dipstick through the device and for still providing a tight
enough fit about the dipstick to ensure adequate wiping of the fluid
therefrom. Consequently, a need exists for further improvement to wiping
devices of this general type.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a dipstick wipe-off tool designed to satisfy
the aforementioned needs. The tool is in the form of a bodY composed of an
absorbent material and has an elongated open hole extending axially
through the center of the body and at least one and preferably a pair of
normally closed slits extending along the hole. The slits are aligned with
one another and extend along a common line in opposite directions from the
hole such that when the body is squeezed along the line of the slits the
size of the hole is enlarged as the slits open up.
In the prior art wiping device of the Birtzer patent, the normally closed
slit of the absorbent plug makes it difficult to easily open the slit. In
squeezing opposite ends of the closed slit, if the force is not accurately
directed along the line of the slit, the slit might not open, but instead
merely bow to one side or the other and stay closed. In contrast thereto,
in the tool of the present invention the presence of the hole between the
slits through the body, in effect, provides a partial, starting opening
which will accurately guide and direct application of the squeezing force
in a way that ensures expansion of the partial opening providing by the
hole.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the
following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings
wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following detailed description, reference will be made to the
attached drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dipstick wipe-off tool of the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the tool of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner of the tool encircled in
FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tool squeezed to a fully opened
condition with the fluid dipstick inserted therethrough.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is
shown a tool of the present invention, generally designated 10, for wiping
fluids off a conventional dipstick 12 (FIG. 4). The wipe-off tool 10 has a
body 14, preferably in the configuration of a rectangular block, although
other shapes are possible within the purview of the present invention. The
body 14 in the rectangular block configuration is bounded by a pair of
first sides 14A, a pair of second sides 14B, and a pair of end sides 14C.
The one dimension (or length) of each first side 14A is longer than the
one dimension (or width) of each second side 14B which extends in
respective directions along the sides within a transverse cross-sectional
plane through the body 14 that intersects the first and second sides 14A,
14B and extends parallel to the end sides 14C.
The body 14 is composed of a flexible, springy, resilient material which
will readily absorb and hold the fluids being wiped off the dipstick and
which will return to its original shape after release from being squeezed.
Where the fluids are hydrocarbons, such as engine, transmission and brake
fluids, the material composing the body 14 is preferably a thermoplastic
foam, for example, open cell polyester foam, as schematicallY depicted in
FIG. 3.
Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the wipe-off tool 10 of the present
invention also has an elongated open hole 16 formed through the body 14.
The hole 16 is preferably of cylindrical shape, although other shapes are
possible within the purview of the present invention. The hole 16
preferably extends axially through the center of the body 14.
Referring still to FIGS. 1 and 2, the wipe-off tool 10 of the present
invention further has at least one and preferably a pair of closed slits
18, 20 formed through the body 14 and extending along opposite sides of
the hole 16. The slits 18, 20 are preferably generally planar in
configuration and aligned with one another along a common line L. The
slits 18, 20 extend in opposite directions from the open hole 16, ending
respectively at locations 18A, 20A. The slits 18, 20 are also aligned
substantially parallel with the first or long sides 14A of the body 14 and
substantially perpendicular to the second or short sides 14B thereof. The
slits 18, 20 terminate at respective points 18A, 20A located intermediate
between the opposite sides of the hole 16 and the short sides 14B of the
body 14.
Referring to FIG. 4, given such construction and configuration of the open
hole 16 and normally closed slits 18, 20 such that the slits are narrower
than the open hole, the wipe-off tool 10 exhibits improved performance in
consistently opening up as desired when squeezed to receive insertion the
dipstick 12 and in closing in snug fitting contact about the dipstick 12
as desired when released to adequately wipe off fluids as the dipstick is
withdrawn from the tool 10. Particularly, when the body 14 of the tool 10
is squeezed from opposite directions between the user's index finger F and
thumb T along the line L of the slits 18, 20, the size of the open hole 16
becomes enlarged, as seen in FIG. 4, as the slits 18, 20 open up to
V-shapes. The presence of the open hole 16 provides a partial, starting
opening which will accurately guide the application of squeezing force in
a way that ensures that the squeezing force applied through the short
sides 14B of the body 14 will consistently cause the slits 18, 20 to
properly open and thus expand the partial opening through the body 14
provided bY the hole 16.
The alignment of the slits 18, 20 generally parallel the long sides 14A and
generally perpendicular to short sides 14B of the rectangular block-shaped
body 14 also provides an easy visual guide for a user to remember and
recognize how to grasp and squeeze the tool 10 relative to the orientation
of the slits 18, 20 in order to properly use the tool. Otherwise, the user
would have to first inspect inspect the tool 10 carefully to determine the
direction of the slits 18, 20, which can be difficult to see.
In one practical example of the tool 10, the long side 14A of the body 14
is two and one-half inches in length and height, the short side 14B of the
body 14 is one inch in width and two and one-half inches in height. Thus,
the opposite end sides 14C of the body 14 are the same size as the short
sides 14B. The foam block-shaped body 14 is center-drilled to provide the
hole 14 with a one-quarter inch diameter. Each of the slits 18, 20 extend
one-half inch from the opposite points on the perimeter of the one-quarter
inch diameter hole 16.
It is thought that the present invention will be understood from the
foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be
made thereto without departing from its spirit and scope or sacrificing
all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being
merely preferred or exemplary embodiment thereof.
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